Free laptops for primary school pupils was one of the signature promises of the Jubilee coalition which endeared itself to the electorate as a digital team.
However, two years down the line, delivering on the promise has become a nightmare.
The plan by the Jubilee administration to introduce laptops as a teaching and learning tool in public primary schools in Kenya, supporters say, is a robust and timely programme.
But critics have dismissed the project terming it as "delivery of toys to school children" while the Government has maintained that the laptop project is potentially an invaluable tool for effective teaching and learning.
The dispute started when the Public Procurement Board cancelled the contract awarded to Indian firm Olive Telecommunications PVT Limited on the grounds that the process did not meet the financial requirements set out in the tender document.
The High Court in September 24, last year, nullified the Sh24.6 billion tender to supply Standard One pupils with laptops, a move that took the Jubilee administration back to the drawing board.
Justices George Odunga, Weldon Korir and Francis Gikonyo nullified the process on account that the exercise was botched and ordered for a fresh tendering process to ensure fairness and equality for all interested parties.
The three High Court judges stated that the decision to quash the tender arose from irregularities both in the procuring process and by the review board.
Indian firm Olive Telecommunications had moved to the High Court after the Public Procurement and Administrative Review Board withdrew its decision to award the firm the tender.
In its findings, the board said that the Sh1.4 billion Olive had quoted as additional services was illegal, as it had not been declared at the beginning of the tendering process.
After Olive Telecommunications had quoted Sh23.1 billion in its original bid, the final quote was Sh24.6 billion, which the review board found to be irregular.
During the review proceedings, American firm Hewlett Packard had raised the red flag over the change in bid costs to favour the Indian firm, which was one of the grounds the review board based its decision on.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join